Elgar, O.M.: A Study of a Musician

. . . at our backs " the unthrift sun shot vital gold,"
filling Payne's Meadows with glory and illuminating for two
small boys a world to conquer and to love.

Elgar Foreword to Forgotten Worcester, H. A. Leicester ( 1930)

IT IS improbable that Edward was very much aware of the Three
Choirs Festival that was held in Worcester three months after he
was born. But it was appropriate that a Festival, to which he was
in due course to contribute so much, should have taken place in his
native city in 1857.

For William Elgar festival time was busy. He tuned pianos and
he played in the orchestra, whose extra rehearsals made additional
demands on his scant leisure. But for one whose vocation was so
strongly marked--Elgar senior held music as a high mystery and
himself as one of its modest celebrants--the effort was worthwhile.
It was an opportunity to see, to hear, and, perhaps, to meet the
high priests and priestesses of the mystery. In his time William
had heard, in Worcester, Lockey and Staudigl who had sung in the
first performance of Mendelssohn Elijah in 1847. In 1857 Clara
Novello, to appear at Worcester for the last time three years later,
was singing, as well as the immortal Sims Reeves. The music in 1857 was unadventurous--even though Mendelssohn, who then
supplied much of the programme, was almost a modern composer.
But one occurrence was memorable. The Duke of Cambridge
announced his intention of attending at the second of the evening
concerts in the College Hall. But he mistimed his approach. "The interruption caused by the entrance of the Duke during the
singing of the air 'Tho' clouds by tempests driven,' by Mrs. Weiss,
greatly marred its effect."

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